Save Me
by MakeMeFree
Summary: Sousuke has never liked Haru. Not even a little bit. But now something was different. There was something different about how he acted, how he swam, that threw Sousuke off. Something was wrong with Haru, and he wanted to know what. He was starting to care, and wanted to care. But can he fix something that he finds later is utterly broken? abusive!RinHaru, eventual SouHaru
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

**Curiosity**

Joint practices with Samezuka were always, at the very least, interesting. The swimmers enjoyed competing against one another, and overtime rivalries formed. Haru stood beside one of the diving blocks, watching his redheaded boyfriend tear through the water with all of the ferocity of a great white shark. His strong hands slammed against the wall, two seconds before the second fastest swimmer. Rin howled happily, excited not only about winning, but beating his previous time, apparently. Haru smiled slightly down at him.

"Great swim, RinRin." He said quietly. The redhead flashed him a toothy grin before pulling himself out of the water.

"Thanks, babe." He replied, giving the older boy a light peck on the cheek.

"Oi, Nanase!" a deeper voice called. Haru turned about at his name being called, azure eyes meeting teal.

"Yamazaki?" the shorter blinked up at the taller man.

"Let's have a race." He said coolly, teal eyes challenging. Rin was grinning beside Haru, draping an arm around his boyfriend's shoulders.

"Yeah Haru, you haven't been in the water _all day._" There was a familiar edge to Rin's voice that made Haru look down a bit. He scanning the pool area briefly, spotting his teammates talking to Ai and Momo. Turning his oceanic gaze back to Sousuke, Haru nodded as an 'alright'. The two stepped up onto their diving blocks, Haru pulling on his cap and goggles while Sousuke adjusting his own goggles. They each took their positions, but a sudden movement from Haru drew Sousuke's attention to him. The Iwatobi swimmer had winced so hard at leaning down into his starting position that he was almost standing upright again. Teal eyes met blue, but Haru quickly turned back to the water and crouched in his ready position. Sousuke eyed Haru's body for a moment, noticing a very faint discoloration of skin peeking above his jammers near his hip.

The buzzer sounded then, and both boys launched themselves with all of their power into the water. Regardless of whether or not Haru was in pain, that little shit was fast! Sousuke struggled a bit with the pain in his shoulder, it searing down his arm and begging for him to stop. He pressed on though, all his might surging forward. The boys hit the first turn at the same time, pushing off fiercely, and driving forward. Sousuke was in the lead for a mere second before he saw Haru speed past him. Haru tore relentlessly through the water, and slammed his hands into the wall a second before Sousuke. As the taller boy stood, he watched Haru pull off his cap and goggles, shaking some of the water from his hair, panting hard.

"Good race." Haru said, looking up slightly to meet the other's eyes. Sousuke hummed in agreement and pulled himself out of the pool, taking off his cap and goggles. He turned his head slightly, watching Haru pull himself more slowly from the water. Something was different with him today.

_Maybe he pulled a muscle…_ Sousuke thought, but shrugged it off. Why did he care? He was about to walk away when he heard Haru and Rin begin talking.

"I'm going to shower." Haru said stiffly, his eyes a bit pained. But Haru's voice wasn't what made Sousuke stop, it was Rin's.

"You'd better make sure no one else is in there." The redhead's voice was low and hushed, holding an edge of threat. Haru hadn't replied, but he walked past Sousuke a bit awkwardly. Whatever had made him flinch earlier was causing him to walk mostly on his left leg, and he had tucked his thumb a bit into his jammers to possibly relieve the irritation of cloth against aggravated skin. The Samezuka swimmer looked back at Rin, who had gone to speak with Ai and the Iwatobi boys. Curiosity shone in Sousuke's teal eyes, and unable to restrain himself, he walked to the locker room. Opening the door quietly, he could hear that one of the showers was on. He moved through an aisle of lockers, standing just behind the last row to see Haru. The younger boy was pulling his jammers down and off, very gingerly stepping out of them and tossing them onto a bench beside the clothes he was planning to wear. With his back to Sousuke, all the watching man could see was a few splotchy bruises on Haru's upper thighs and hips.

_I guess Rin must be aggressive in bed…_ he mused, smiling ever so slightly. The smile dropped immediately upon hearing Haru's gasp of pain as hot water rolled down his body. He had flinched away from the water, shaking slightly with agony and decided to turn so the water would run down his back instead.

Sousuke tried not to stare, tried not to think about how Haru's body looked. So well-defined and beautiful… Heat rose in Sousuke's cheeks, and he felt a small shiver run up his spine. He could see why Rin enjoyed Haru so much.

But something caught Sousuke's attention on Haru. Slightly lower than his right hip, right where his jammers would just barely hid it, was dark red lines of scabbing cuts. Inside his hip, Sousuke could see that something was _carved_ into Haru's skin. From where they were positioned, Sousuke couldn't tell how deep the wounds were, nor could he tell if they were particularly new. All he could see was that Haru was in a lot of pain.

/

Sousuke saw Haru standing beside his teammates, wearing a dark grey pair of sweatpants that hung low enough for the other to be sure Haru was not wearing anything underneath. His team jacket was on as well, but not zipped up.

"So Haru, are you coming over tonight?" Makoto was asking him, smiling his usual smile. Sousuke glanced around, attempting to catch sight of his redheaded best friend. He had some questions.

"I don't think so." Haru answered flatly. Makoto's green eyes dulled at his replied, and Nagisa whined.

"But Haru-chaaan! You never hang out with us anymore!" the blonde whimpered, pouting like a child. Haru looked up at the tallest of the group, something seeming to pass between them silently. The brunette raised his eyebrows at Haru, appearing to Sousuke that whatever Haru had been thinking was confusing.

"What is he saying?" Nagisa shouted, bouncing up and down on his toes while Rei sighed and adjusted his glasses.

"Nagisa-kun, clearly he does not want to share that with you." The blue haired boy answered. All he got was a light punch in the arm and Nagisa sticking his tongue out childishly.

"I'll text you later then, Haru. C'mon guys, let's get going." Makoto smiled at them and quickly ushered Nagisa and Rei from the building, walking side by side with them. Haru stood quietly, looking around slowly to try and spot his boyfriend.

"He left with Ai." Sousuke said, walking up to Haru quietly. The raven haired boy jumped a bit at the older's voice, shying away slightly.

"Okay." He replied and turned to the door, beginning to walk away. Sousuke watched him for a long moment, ultimately deciding against being a nice guy and walking him home. Haru could handle himself.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

**Altercation**

Sousuke stared out at the ocean, teal eyes distant. The sun was drifting up in the sky, making the sea glow a glorious blue and orange. He couldn't stop himself from thinking about Haru. Nanase Haruka. That name that had been plaguing his thoughts since the last joint practice with Iwatobi on Monday. Today was one of those Saturdays where Sousuke had nothing to do, as all of his schoolwork was finished, and all of his friends were off doing something with their significant others. He sighed softly, sticking his hands in the pockets of his dark jeans and walking down toward the water. Kicking off his shoes and leaving them where the light sand started, he looked around.

There was hardly anyone here today, except for a few small families with their children. Sousuke walked down to the water until it gently lapped at his toes. He leaned down and rolled up the legs of his pants halfway up his calf before going further and letting the cool water wash over his feet.

It was quiet, with the exception of the children's excited shouts and laughs. A soft breeze carried salty sea spray to Sousuke, making him smile contentedly.

"Rin _stop_!" an annoyed voice was carried on the wind. Instinctively upon hearing his best friend's name, Sousuke turned to see said boy and his boyfriend standing near the large rocks a few meters from him. Confusion swept over Sousuke's face as he watched what seemed to be an altercation.

"Where were you last night? You didn't come home until like midnight!" Rin growled, stepping toward Haru so the slightly shorter boy's back hit a rock.

"I _told_ you that Makoto and I were going to hang out with Nagisa and Rei!" Haru shot back, cerulean eyes narrowed. From the distance, Sousuke could see Rin grab the front of Haru's blue and white striped shirt, pulling him closer and then shoving him hard into the rock. Haru winced and moved to grab the hand that was clutching his shirt.

"Where?" Rin demanded, obviously angry.

"The pool." Haru seemed to back down a bit, his stoic expression showing no signs of fear or distress. Sousuke watched for a moment longer before walking toward them. Haru was the first to notice, shifting his blue eyes toward the larger Samezuka swimmer. Rin turned a bit to look and immediately released Haru's shirt.

"Hey Sousuke! Why're you here?" Rin asked, his shark grin spreading over his face. Sousuke's face remained straight as he looked between the two. The redhead grabbed Haru's hand and laced his fingers with his boyfriend's. Haru looked up at Sousuke, his face emotionless but his eyes shining with something…A question? A plea?

_'Help me.' _Sousuke could swear he saw that in Haru's eyes. By why should _he_ help _him_? Teal eyes shifted back to the happy red eyes in front of him.

"Just out for a walk." He answered bluntly. The freestyle boy, sensing that his plea had been ignored, looked off toward the ocean. His eyes sparkled like the water in the sunlight as he looked out at the vast expanse of blue. Sousuke let his gaze fall on Haru briefly, before turning back to Rin.

"We were just going to the store, and then Haru wanted to see the ocean." Rin was smiling.

"Oh? What store?" Sousuke pressed a bit, looking more into Rin's eyes, sensing the lie.

"The pet store. Haru recently let a cat come into the house, and refuses to let the thing go." The redhead laughed softly, tugging a bit on Haru's hand to get him to pay attention. The blue eyed boy looked back toward Sousuke, but now his eyes were different. They were defensive and cold, their blue clouded and dulled. Sousuke's eyebrows knitted together a bit. Why did seeing Haru's eyes like that make him feel…guilty?

"Well, have fun." The tallest boy said after a long moment of wave-filled silence.

"See ya at school," Rin grinned and waved as Sousuke turned to leave. He could feel Haru's eyes drilling into his back as he left them.

_What could he possibly need me for? He's fine._ Sousuke thought, going to get his shoes.

/

Rin yanked Haru hard so the black haired boy fell into his chest. He could feel the shark boy's teeth against his ear as he spoke.

"Why was he looking at you like that?" the redhead's voice was low. Haru felt himself be hugged, arms tightly winding around his waist.

"I don't know." He replied, his voice its usual monotone. Rin sighed against Haru's ear, and then softly pressed his lips to Haru's neck. The blue eyed swimmer tilted his head to the side a bit, looping his arms loosely around Rin's neck. Kisses were trailing slowly along Haru's neck, and he was enjoying it with the slightest of smiles. Suddenly, a sharp pain spread into the junction of his neck and shoulder. Rin's teeth sank deeply into his boyfriend's skin, causing him to let out a pained moan. Releasing him, Rin licked the small beads of blood that were beginning to peek out of Haru's pale skin.

"We're going home." The redhead growled softly. Haru couldn't tell if he should be excited or scared to go home, but he just kept telling himself that Rin was worth it. Rin was worth everything to him. He _loved_ him. From what he has gathered, Haru understands love as three things; 1. He listens to what Rin says, 2. The pain and hurt is a normal occurrence, 3. Always hide your pain and scars.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

**Those Eyes**

"Haru-chaaaan! Come practice the relay with us!" Nagisa shouted, regardless of the fact that he was within arms distance of the freestyle swimmer. Haru was in his jammers, however he still wore his Iwatobi jacket, zipped up to the top. He simply shook his head and took a seat on the bench. Makoto's eyes clouded with worry as he looked down at his best friend. The dolphin boy did not look at him, likely trying to hide his eyes.

"Don't you want to swim, Haru?" The brunette's voice was inviting, making Haru look up. The taller's eyes widened at the amount of defensiveness in Haru's eyes. It was like a wall had been built around his emotions, managing to shut out even Makoto. That is, until Rin ran over.

"Oi, Haru! You want to race?" The redhead asked, grinning challengingly. Makoto saw a flicker of fear cross Haru's ocean eyes, but the boy simply looked down and shook his head.

"I don't feel like swimming today."

/

_"Why can't you just come home on time, Haru? How am I supposed to trust you if you're always late?" Rin asked, standing so close to Haru that their noses almost touched. The raven haired boy did not say anything, instead he simply looked away. Teeth grinding, Rin clutched Haru's shirt in his fist, yanking him those few centimeters closer so that their noses would touch. Haru looked into his boyfriends eyes, blue eyes narrowed._

_"Let go." He said quietly._

_"Excuse me?" The redhead growled dangerously, red eyes flaming. Haru put his hands against Rin's chest and shoved him back, with all his strength. Instead of just Rin moving, Haru felt himself begin to fall too, as Rin did not release his grip on Haru's shirt immediately. Rin's back hit the ground first, then Haru felt his body slam heavily into something hard. With a small shout of pain, the black haired boy realized that he had landed on the corner of the kotatsu, feeling pain sear through his stomach. Now Rin was sitting, trying to gather his breath back after it being knocked out of him. Haru curled up on the floor, clutching at his stomach with his eyes squeezed shut._

_"R-Rin.." He choked out, looking up at said boy. The redhead looked down at his boyfriend, crawling a bit toward him and rolling him over. Haru whimpered at being moved, but did not fight it. He felt his shirt being lifted up and then;_

_"Shit, Haru! Damn it." Rin cursed, gently running his fingers over the already forming dark bruise. At Rin's touch, Haru flinched away and whimpered, feeling something warm and thick slide down his side._

_"I-Is it bleeding?" Haru managed, finding it extremely painful to breathe. Rin scowled at the question and got up. The injured boy could hear Rin rustling around in the kitchen, and saw him reappear with a damp towel._

_"This was an _accident_." Rin said smoothly, gently cleaning the blood from the relatively small puncture wound. Haru nodded, knowing that in all truth, it was his fault._

/

"Come on Haru-chan!" Nagisa tugged on Haru's arm, attempting to pull him from the bench. Haru looked up again, first at Rin, and then at Makoto. He could see the swirl of conflicting emotions in emerald eyes; confusion, worry, suspicion. After his arm being yanked on for the tenth time, Haru stood up, wincing as he did so.

"Fine." He said, watching Rin now closely. Not looking at his friends, Haru quickly unzipped his jacket and tossed it on the bench. He heard Makoto gasp and begin to speak, but Haru just walked off toward the starting blocks.

"Rin, what happened?" Makoto shot a glare at Rin, emerald eyes fiery.

"He fell last night. Tripped over a textbook and landed on the edge of the kotatsu." Rin answered, turning from Makoto to look at Haru.

/

Haru stood up on the block, adjusting his cap and goggled.

"Nanase?" Haru jumped at the deep voice that was suddenly beside him. Looking down only slightly, blue eyes met gorgeous teal. The silence between them was deafening, until Haru spoke up.

"Yamazaki." He replied. Sousuke's eyes shifted from Haru's, to the bruise that covered half his stomach and a bit over his side. Haru could've sworn he saw anger flash through Sousuke's teal orbs for a second, but then his unreadable expression returned.

"What happened?" He asked coolly, keeping his concern from his voice.

_Why do I even care? This isn't my problem._ Sousuke mentally reprimanded himself.

"I fell." Was the only reply. Before Haru could turn back to face the pool, he felt a strong arm lift him from the block and set him down on the tile floor. The freestyle boy stiffened at being touched, instinctively flinching away from Sousuke the moment he was put down.

"You can't swim like that. I'll wrap that for you." The taller boy said, not making it sound like an offer. Sousuke watched as Haru's first reaction was to look over at Rin. Said boy was watching them carefully, but nodded toward the locker room to tell Haru he could go. Looking down, Haru pulled off his cap and goggles, following Sousuke to the locker room.

/

"Did you really _only_ fall?" Sousuke asked as he wrapped bandages around Haru's midsection to cover the bruise.

"Yeah." Was the only reply, the shortness similar to earlier. Teal eyes suddenly locked with azure, narrowed and searching.

"I don't believe you." The Samezuka swimmer snorted, a disappointed grin on his face. Haru looked deeply into Sousuke's eyes, causing the latter to move back a bit. Those blue eyes, the eyes that were always uncaring yet competitive and shining when he saw water, were different. That blue had dulled to a dark navy, a tiredness, a fear, a pain was lingering in those blue eyes. Sousuke looked into those eyes for a long time, completely mesmerized by the level of emotion they held. But just as suddenly as those emotions were present, they were gone. A wall had shut out Sousuke, making him blink in confusion.

"Nanase..." He said softly. "What's going on?" Haru looked away from him, seeming to be shutting himself down. He was silent, looking away, and slouched. He looked small, and vulnerable. He looked like a child.

"_Haru_." Said boy jumped when he heard his name from the boy that he had always assumed hated him.

"Is he hurting you?"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**Come Over?**

Sousuke was laying in bed, hands folded behind his head and right knee bent up with his left calf resting stop his knee. The room was dark and quiet, with the exception of Rin's snoring above him. Picking up his phone, the black haired teen looked at the time and sighed, dropping the device back on the bed.

_2:45am... Damn, why can't I sleep? _He grunted in frustration. Turning, Sousuke laid on his side, one arm tucked under his head while he fiddled with his phone with his free hand. He knew why he couldn't sleep. He knew perfectly well why his thoughts kept racing and why he couldn't stop recalling a conversation he had been engaged in a few days prior. Nanase Haruka plagued his mind like a disease, however, this disease wasn't crippling. It brought emotions up in Sousuke that he had not felt in a long time; concern, comfort, affection...

_Affection?_ Sousuke clenched his jaw in thought for a long moment, scowling at the wall. It was needless to say that in the recent weeks of joint practices, Sousuke's life had gotten a bit more complicated. He closed his eyes, turning over the conversation he had had with Haru earlier in the week.

/

_"Is he hurting you?" Sousuke's voice was low and quiet. They stared at one another, locked in a silent conversation of their eyes. Shining teal was darkened, defensive, and ocean blue was distant and anxious. Haru did not know what to say. He didn't want to say yes, because then Rin would get in trouble. He didn't want to say no, because that would be a lie._

_"I'm fine." He replied, making Sousuke scowl._

_"That bruise is not 'fine'." The taller shot back, standing now to look down at Haru. Being loomed over, stared down at, seemed to scare the other, as he shifted back on the bench as far as he could go without falling. Sousuke slightly regretted intimidating the smaller boy, but he didn't move._

_"Leave me alone." The freestyle swimmer's voice was even but his eyes were starting to show his fear. Sousuke stared hard at Haru, eyes narrowed and piercing, trying to pierce through the walls Haru had built for himself. The fear that Sousuke could make out in his eyes was suddenly gone, almost as if Haru had realized what he was doing. The stoic expression and blank eyes were back, staring back into Sousuke's._

_"Fine, if you won't tell me..." Sousuke started, walking a few meters to his locker and opening it. He stood there for a moment, Haru seeing that he was writing something down._

_"What are you doing?" Haru asked, standing up. Sousuke looked over at him, watching his body wince at the pain of moving. Sighing, he shut the locker and moved toward Haru, handing him a piece of paper. Hesitantly, Haru took it and looked at what he had wrote, a pink tinge etching into his cheeks._

_"Call me if you need anything." Sousuke said quickly, his own cheeks beginning to burn. Haru looked up at Sousuke, who looked away in embarrassment._

_"Um, thank you." Haru said awkwardly, obvious unsure how to react to this situation. Sousuke looked back at..._**bzzzt**_...Haru and saw..._**bzzzt**_...that he had a small..._**bzzzt**_...smile on his face..._**bzzzt**_..._

/

**Bzzzt**... Sousuke jumped as he realized his phone was buzzing. Picking it up and looking at the screen, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. It was a number he didn't recognize, so naturally he ignored it. The phone stopped buzzing, and everything went quiet once again, except for Rin's snoring. Closing his eyes, Sousuke laid there for a moment before his eyes shot back open and he grabbed his phone. Opening up his text messages, he began typing a message to the number that had called him.

_Nanase, is this your number?_

After a moment of silence, his screen lit up with a message.

_Yes. Sorry, I couldn't sleep._

Sousuke snorted and grinned, typing a message back.

_How am I supposed to help with that?_

There was a longer break in the conversation then. Long enough to make Sousuke sigh and roll over to his back was to his phone. He could hear Rin shifting above him, grunting in his sleep. Holding in a small chuckle, Sousuke closed his eyes. However, then his phone buzzed. With an aggravated groans he reached over and grabbed his phone, flipping it open to the message. His eyes widened a bit, and he was confused.

_Could we hang out on Saturday?_

Something stirred in Sousuke's stomach, making him feel fluttery and a bit nervous. His cheeks burned in a blush that he was glad no one would see.

_Why?_

He pushed send and anxiously waited for a reply.

_Never mind. Sorry for waking you._

Sousuke buried his face in his pillow, groaning in frustration. A war was being waged within Sousuke. He never liked Haru. He hated his stoic attitude, they way he never seemed to care about anything. He hated that the freestyle swimmer never expressed anything. But he loved those eyes of his. The way that they could secretly express those feelings that he never said. Something about Haru was simply mesmerizing. Sousuke hated that he liked him so much.

_Where do you want to go?_

Sousuke sent his message, waiting impatiently for an answer. The text came almost immediately, causing Sousuke to jump.

_My house?_

Swallowing hard, Sousuke sent an 'okay' with shaky hands, shortly thereafter receiving and address. His heart was pounding, it felt like a hammer hitting his chest.

_Why am I nervous? It's just Nanase. Why the hell did I agree to see him?_ He thought, mentally face palming. As he went to put his phone down, the screen lit up one final time. He sighed and opened the message, a smile creeping over his face slowly.

_Good night, Sousuke._

_Good night, Haru._

/

"Hey, Sousuke? You okay?" A voice made Sousuke jump. He was sitting in his first class of the day, foot tapping and watching the clock with irritation as it would move no faster, no matter how hard he willed it to.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine Rin." He answered, giving the redhead a lazy smile. Crimson eyes searched Sousuke's face, sighing when he seemed to find nothing unusual.

"Well, quit the foot tapping. It's distracting!" Rin complained, making Sousuke chuckle and mutter an apology.

_Could Rin really be doing something to Ha-Nanase. He's Nanase. But Rin seems nice, just like always... _Sousuke looked at the redhead in the corner of his eye. He could see that he was texting, undoubtedly Haru. Sousuke's pocket vibrated then, making him jump in surprise. Rin looked over at him with a "what the fuck was that?" look, then went back to taking notes and texting. Sousuke blushed lightly in embarrassment and pulled out his phone. He opened the message, thoroughly confused as to why Nanase was texting him.

_Can we hang out today instead?_

Sousuke's brows knitted together and he frowned slightly. He glanced up at Rin before replying.

_Sure. Where?_

He waited for a long moment, beginning to tap his foot again until he heard Rin groan in irritation. Sousuke did not get a reply during the rest of the hour he was in class, making him anxious. He felt his heart pound hard in his chest, unsure of whether or not he should text Haru again. Slipping his phone in his pocket, he got up at the bell. Standing beside Rin, they began their walk to their second class. Rin was texting as they walked, and Sousuke curiously read over his shoulder. He saw a message from Haru, saying that he was sorry for something that Sousuke didn't get a chance to read. Rin shut his phone and shoved it in his pocket, frowning.

"What's wrong?" Sousuke asked, looking down at his best friend.

"Relationships are complicated." He sighed, shrugging. Sousuke have a fake chuckle and agreed. Sousuke's pocket vibrated then, and it pulled out his phone. Briefly, he scanned the message Haru had sent him.

_Meet me at the Iwatobi pool? I'm going to swim after school and then we can walk to my house._

Sousuke put his phone away, earning a small glance from Rin.

"Who's that?" He asked, grinning evilly.

"Someone." Sousuke grinned back, making Rin laugh.

"Smooth, Sousuke. All the girls love you." He chuckled, earning a shrug from the taller. They chatted the rest of the way to class about anything ranging from school to swimming, Rin never noticing the number of times Sousuke checked the time on his phone.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey everyone! I know I don't do author notes in this story, but I can't help it! All of your reviews are so encouraging for me to keep writing :) I really enjoy this fanfic and I'm glad you all do as well! Thank you for all of the support! Now, enjoy this chapter full of crazy emotions!  
>-Katie :)<p>

/

Chapter 5

**Conflicting Emotions**

The school day seemed to stretch into eternity, and it was making Sousuke anxious. He watched the clock, counting down the final fifteen seconds of his last class. When that bell rings, he would finally get to go to Iwatobi and find out why Haru had asked to hang out. A small smile played at his lips at the thought of Haru, who hadn't been out of his thoughts all day. He thought about how Haru would look in the water, since he would probably be swimming when Sousuke got there. As his mind drifted further away, the Samezuka swimmer hardly even noticed the bell ringing. Rin was already standing, looking down at Sousuke with an amused grin.

"What is up with you today?" He asked playfully, watching his friend get up from his seat. The teal eyed boy offered a lopsided grin and shrugged. Rin rolled his eyes and began heading for the door, Sousuke following shortly behind him.

"Hey, Sousuke, do you-," Rin was abruptly cut off by hearing his name being called down the hallway. The two stopped, looking down the hallway to find the source of the voice.

"Matsuoka-senpai!" Echoed down the hall as a silver haired boy darted over to the upperclassmen.

"Hey, Ai. What's up?" The redhead asked, watching as the younger boy panted to catch his breath.

"Can you come watch Momo and I swim? We want to race!" He asked, light blue eyes shining. Rin laughed softly at his enthusiasm and smiled.

"Yeah, sure. You'd better win though." The older answered, grinning more to reveal his shark-like teeth. Ai thanked him excitedly and looked up at Sousuke, about to invite him along as well to watch.

"I've got something to do. Sorry, Nitori." He said before the other could ask. The silver haired boy smiled and nodded in understanding, but Sousuke could feel a confused and suspicious gaze on him from Rin. Sousuke looked sideways at Rin and smirked, a smirk that made Rin smile.

"Well, have fun with whatever you're doing." Rin laughed softly, walking off with Ai to the pool. Sousuke took his phone out of his pocket, glancing at the time before more quickly exiting Samezuka.

It didn't take long for Sousuke to arrive at Iwatobi. It was a nice walk, a cool breeze was coming off the ocean and the sun was just starting to drift down in the sky. When he arrived at the rival school, he looked around; seeing no signs of Haru. With a sigh, the Samezuka swimmer made his way up the steps toward the locker room, walking in and still seeing nobody.

"Nanase?" He called, walking through the relatively small room. No one answer, so Sousuke concluded that Haru must be in the pool. Opening the door to said pool, he saw that he was correct. Going up the steps, he could see Haru's body floating along the surface of the water. His eyes were closed, and he looked peaceful. For a very long moment, Sousuke admired the smaller swimmer.

His skin was a gentle pale, only obviously discolored where the bruise he had on his midsection was. It still looked dark and painful, but the edges seemed to be yellowing. His hair floated around his head like a dark halo, contrasting beautifully against his skin. And his body- it was stunning. His muscles were toned and outlined deeply, yet he still looked soft. His body had a gentleness about it that made Sousuke blush faintly.  
>Setting his bag down on a bench, the larger swimmer rolled up his pant legs and kicked off his shoes. He sat at the edge of the pool, sliding his feet into the cool water. Ripples went out across the crystalline surface, washing gently over Haru's face. Sousuke watched curiously as the minuscule waves went over the Iwatobi swimmer, and watched as he immediately opened his eyes and pushed himself down into the water. He counted the seconds that Haru stayed submerged.<p>

Nervously, Sousuke sat up straighter, trying to see if Haru was looking up at him or if he was just suspending himself below the surface of the water. The surface was broken suddenly, and a pair of bright azure eyes locked on Sousuke as if he were prey being stalked.

"You came." Haru's voice was soft, drifting on a breeze that made Sousuke shiver.

"You asked me to. Why did you want to see me?" Sousuke replied, teal eyes reflecting the shining surface of the water. They looked at each other for a long moment, both equally unsure of what to do. Haru ducked quietly under the water then, swimming toward the other boy and coming back up. He folded his arms on the side of the pool, laying his head on his arms and peering up at Sousuke.

"To thank you." He said flatly, azure eyes light and almost seeming happy. Sousuke looked into those sweet eyes, secretly enjoying the lightness that they held.

"You made me come all the way here for you to thank me?" Sousuke teased, a sarcastic frown on his face. Haru scowled, eyes narrowing slightly.

"What did you expect?" Sousuke considered that question for a very long moment. He looked up toward the sky, watching a cloud drift lazily over them. Haru moving caught Sousuke's attention, and he turned his gaze to watch the smaller teen pull himself from the water and sit beside him.

"How's your bruise?" Sousuke asked as Haru flicked the water from his hair like he usually did, ignoring the previous question until he could come up with a reasonable answer. The freestyle boy looked down at his side, tenderly fingering the yellowing edges of the bruise.

"It hurts." Haru sighed softly, hands falling in his lap and eyes locked on the water. They were quiet for a long moment, unsure of what to say. Sousuke looked at Haru's face in the corner of his eye. He could see conflict in his eyes, and he was chewing on his bottom lip either in thought or out of nervous habit.

"Are we still going to your house?" Sousuke asked finally, receiving a small nod from the other. Sousuke stood up first, leaning down to take Haru's hand and pull him to his feet. The second the Iwatobi swimmer realized Sousuke was touching him, he flinched away, leaning his body away from the standing teen. Teal eyes became confused and slightly annoyed at the reaction.

_I was just going to help him up... Jeez, how does Rin deal with him?_ Sousuke thought, watching Haru stand up.

"I'm going to change." He said a bit quickly, his eyes downcast as he spoke and walked off toward the locker room. Sousuke's eyes followed Haru, a frown finding it's way to his face. He sighed and walked over to his shoes, shaking water off his feet before sliding them back on and rolling down his pants. Picking up his bag, Sousuke descended the stairs and walked quietly into the locker room. From where he stood, he could see Haru, but Haru likely couldn't see him. The boy changing was gingerly peeling off his jammers, slowly revealing a series of bruises and deep scratches along his thighs (or at least the side of his left thigh because that's all Sousuke could see). The scratches looked red and painful, some bruises dark and others a hideous yellow. Sousuke heard Haru let out a relieved sigh at his jammers being off, then watched him pull on a pair of sweatpants and a yellow t-shirt.

"Nanase, you done yet?" He called out, hearing said boy shut his locker.

"Yeah, Sousuke." Haru was holding his bag when Sousuke came around the corner.

"Why do you use my first name? We don't even know each other." Sousuke was scowling slightly, looking down at Haru. Haru's eyes widened at the growing annoyance in Sousuke's eyes. He looked down, growing silent before mumbling a weak apology and asking Yamazaki to follow him. As Haru turned, he felt a large hand grab his shoulder and turn him back around. His eyes were dilated with fear, body seeming to shrink away. Sousuke looked into Haru's blue eyes, trying to understand.

"What is the matter with you?" He demanded, hand never leaving Haru's shoulder. Not quite knowing how to answer, the smaller teen simply looked down. He was quiet, beginning to shake very slightly beneath Sousuke's hand. Gripping his shoulder tighter, Sousuke was about he ask again when he noticed Haru's face. Even downturned, the teal eyed swimmer could see that Haru's eyes were squeezed shut, tears threatening to spill from the corners. Sousuke's eyes widened, his heart twisting slightly in his chest.

Acting on instinct, Sousuke immediately pulled Haru to him, wrapping strong arms around the boy in a warm embrace. He struggled for a moment to come up with words to comfort the smaller boy, not knowing what mind of reaction to truly expect from a hug.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset." Sousuke's voice was clearly confused and uncomfortable. Haru stiffened in his arms, eyes wide and unsure of how to go about this situation. He felt confused, and scared, and untrusting, but he chose to ignorethe swirl of emotions tormenting his mind.

_Rin never hugs me like this... Is this what it's supposed to feel like?_ Haru thought, shakily wrapping his arms around Sousuke's waist. The taller teen felt his cheeks heat up, and suddenly felt himself getting uneasy.

"Nanase?" He asked, looking down at said boy. Haru didn't answer, but his demeanor seemed to change. Sousuke could feel how vulnerable Haru was, how insecure he was. Slowly, he could feel Haru relaxing against him, leaning his head against Sousuke's broad chest and closing his eyes.

"Haru?" The bigger teens' voice was very soft, reminding Haru of Makoto in a way. Haru looked up, almost obediently, at hearing his name.

"Yes? Oh, _oh_. Sorry," Haru quickly moved out of Sousuke's arms, cheeks flushing and eyes looking away. "I didn't mean to..."

"Let's go to your house." Sousuke interrupted him. Haru nodded, feeling very awkward about the situation he had just been in. Nevertheless, Haru's stoic expression made a comeback, and the two exited the locker room.

/

The walk home had been silent, except for a few bits of conversation. They spoke briefly about Haru's home, and then about food. Sousuke's stomach had growled the entire way to the house, and he could've sworn he heard Haru laugh softly a few times. They began climbing the stone steps to the Nanase residence, Sousuke looking around slowly and taking in every detail. The house was small, but it was quite nice. In the front yard, he spotted two kittens wandering around in the already setting sunlight.

"You have cats?" Sousuke asked, an amused tone in his voice.

"No, they're strays. Makoto named the white one Yuki and I named the black one Kuro." Haru explained briefly. The kittens seemed to perk up at hearing their names, trotting over to the teens. Haru reached down and scooped both of them up, wincing as he stood back up. The pain from his bruise was still excruciating, but he tried to ignore it. The black kitten climbed up his chest, happily sitting on Haru's shoulder. Yuki mewed loudly, reaching her tiny paws out to Sousuke and earning a bewildered look from Haru.

"What's the matter?" Sousuke asked, gently taking the kitten from Haru's arms. She was so small that she could sit comfortably in Sousuke's palm, her little chest rumbling as she purred.

"She only likes Makoto and me." Haru said, looking up at Sousuke with his normal expression. Sousuke smiled goofily, scratching the kitten's head as they headed inside.

As the lights were turned on, the Samezuka boy was not at all surprised by the minimal furniture that he could see in the living room. It was nice actually, welcoming. What he did not expect, was the amount of paper he saw spread over the kotatsu and some on the floor. As Haru took Sousuke's bag and set both his and his own down, Sousuke kicked off his shoes and wandered into the living room. On the papers, or various sizes, there were a great multitude of drawings. Some of the kittens, of the Iwatobi swim club, some of Rin. They were all done in magnificent detail.

"Did you draw these?" Sousuke asked, setting the white kitten down on the floor as he sat. Haru gave a small 'mhmm' before walking past Sousuke and into the kitchen.

"Do you like mackerel?"

"What?"

"Do you like mackerel?" Sousuke looked up at Haru, feeling his cheeks grow warmer as he watched the other boy tie an apron around his waist and duck his head through the top.

"Uh, I've never tried it." The teal eyed boy admitted. Haru's eyes grew wide, eyebrows knitting together in confusion. The next moment, Sousuke saw Haru turn and begin getting out pans and ingredients that he now assumed were for a mackerel dish. Sousuke laughed softly, continuing to look through the drawings.  
>He's making us food. Isn't that something you do on a date? Don't be ridiculous! He's dating your best friend. Sousuke frowned at himself. A warm, savory scent wafted from the kitchen along with the sounds of cooking fish. Sousuke's stomach growled loudly, making him blush a bit. Haru chuckled softly, and Sousuke watched as any tension that had been in the younger boys shoulders disappeared. He looked relaxed, happy. And his laugh sent butterflies through Sousuke's body.<p>

"You can watch tv if you want." Haru's voice was warm, but sounded slightly anxious. Teal eyes softened at his voice, and he stood up, searching for the remote. As he looked around, he couldn't help himself; he picked up all of the papers of drawings and placed them neatly on the kotatsu, finding the remote beneath a relatively large drawing of the torso of a swimmer.

"Do you finish much of these?" Sousuke held up the drawing as Haru turned. Blue eyes locked on the paper as a pink tinge came to his cheeks.

"Uh, eventually." He answered, quickly turning back to his cooking. The other shrugged and placed the paper on top of the stack, turning the television on and sitting at the kotatsu. Shortly after finding a channel, a plate was set in front of him with a delicious looking fish and some vegetables on the sides with a small bowl of rice. Haru sat across from Sousuke, setting his own plate and bowl down.

"Thanks, Nan-Haru." Sousuke looked away a bit at using 'Haru' instead of 'Nanase'. Haru looked down at his food, a faint smile pulling at his lips. They began eating, watching an American television show called Family Guy. Sousuke was surprised at how amazing the mackerel tasted; it was perhaps better than it looked. Which he had thought would be impossible. Their food was gone in a record amount of time, Sousuke sighed happily at being full.

"Are you still hungry?" Haru's voice was quiet and soft, uncharacteristic for him, however it seemed to Sousuke that today was a very uncharacteristic day.

"No, thank you." Haru picked up their plates and walked off into the kitchen, placing them in the sink quietly. Sousuke watched him walk noticing how he seemed to try to keep weight mostly on his right side.

_Has he been walking like that all day?_ Sousuke wondered. With a rush of determination, Sousuke stood up and strode over to Haru in time for him to turn around and nearly run into Sousuke's chest. Haru stared straight ahead at Sousuke's chest for a moment before blinking and looking up to meet those teal eyes.

"What are you doing?" Haru's voice was a bit uneven, but his eyes were narrowed defensively.

"Why are you walking like that?" The bigger swimmer asked, stepping back slightly to give Haru more room.

"Like what? Why do you care?" Haru's voice was icy, blue eyes cold and emotions closed off. Sousuke felt a tinge of anger make its way into his voice as he spoke.

"I know we don't know each other very well, but clearly you trust me enough to invite me over. Something is wrong, and I want to know what. You've never been intimidated by anyone, or refused to swim. I've seen those bruises on your leg." Sousuke said in a low voice, his eyes hardened with irritation. Haru stayed silent, trying to move past the teen that was interrogating him, only to be stopped by a large hand grabbing his waist. Sousuke opened his mouth to speak at the moment he grabbed Haru, but immediately let go at a shout of pain from the other. He clutched his side, body shaking as pain shot up and down his body. In that moment, Sousuke realized that he had grabbed the side with the enormous bruise. Apology and panic bubbled up inside Sousuke. Seeing Haru in this much pain, tears in his eyes and trembling, felt like it was going to break his heart.

"Haru, I-I'm sorry! I-I," Sousuke tried, offering to help Haru stand up straight.

"Leave." Haru's voice was wracked with pain, teeth clenched. Guilt and heartache tore at Sousuke. He didn't know what to do or say, jumping at Haru's voice.

"Get. _Out_!" Haru's voice was dripping with agony and anger. Sousuke couldn't find any words to offer to Haru, and instead quickly retreated from the home, grabbing his bag and shoes and hurriedly left. As he walked down the steps from Haru's home and along the path beside the ocean, he silently replayed every event from the afternoon in his head. Upon arriving to Samezuka, he clenched his jaw and cursed himself.

_I still don't know why he asked me to come over._

/

Haru slid his back down the counter, sitting on the cool tile floor and shakily hugging his knees. Resting his forehead on his knees, Haru felt pain shoot through his entire body. His side _ached_ and so did his heart. He had wanted to see if Sousuke was someone he could trust; someone he could call if he needed help. That's why Haru had asked him to come over. He knew that the next few weeks were going to be hard, and he didn't know if he could handle it alone. Things were changing, and Haru wasn't sure how he'd be able to adjust to everything.

Change was coming _soon_.

Haru felt tears began to spill down his cheeks, and for the first time in years, he allowed himself to cry.


	6. Chapter 6

Hey everyone! Sorry for the slow update! Finals are coming up and it's stressing me out T_T Also, I could not for the life of me figure out what this chapter should have xD But here you go! Haru's POV.

TW: Cutting. I do apologize.

/

/

Chapter Six

**304**

Sunlight streamed into Haru's bedroom through the uncovered window at the head of his bed. Golden rays dappled the surface of his bed and his face, coaxing him to wakefulness. Usually, he saw the soft light as beautiful, the way it cast delicate shadows around his room; however, today seemed to be different. Haru's mind perceived everything more bleakly this morning, making him close his eyes and rest an arm over them.

It was Sunday, which meant no school, and no Rin. Every Sunday, Rin went to visit his mother and sister, and would spend the night with his family. This meant that today, Haru was completely alone.

Not that he minded, of course. It gave him time to think, and to relax. Lying in bed for moments longer, Haru sighed. He knew he should get out of bed, regardless of the nagging feeling in the back of his mind telling him it was not a good idea. Ignoring the faint thoughts of staying in bed, Haru sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He stood, looking up at his reflection in the full-length mirror that hung on the back of his bedroom door. The bruise he had gotten, now a week and a half ago, was healing. Around the area that had been punctured by the corner of the kotatsu was still an ugly dark brown-black color; however the rest of it was yellowing and fading.

His eyes drifted slowly down his body, inspecting his bare legs in the mirror—as he was only wearing his boxers. Bruises plagued his skin, unsightly red scratches clawing up his calves. He tried to recall how and when he had gotten all of the marks on his legs, but his mind was too numb to care. He couldn't remember if they hurt, because right now he could not feel anything. He could not feel the pain, or the sadness that had lingered after Rin had done all of his to him. He was simply numb to all of the hurt and suffering. He couldn't feel _anything_.

Not that he minded, of course. He reached out for the doorknob, pulling the door open and walking quietly out of his room. There were no sounds in his house, indicating that Makoto had not come over or was not going to come over. He vaguely remembered that his clock read _7:23am _when he woke up. If Makoto was coming over, it wouldn't be until around nine, but that was fine. Haru walked down the stairs from his room to his favorite part of the house; the bathroom.

As the wooden floor beneath his feet changed to tile, Haru was almost surprised that he did not feel the change in temperature as he usually did. The tile was always so much cooler than the wood. Did he care? No, the feeling of the floor did not matter. Was there a point in feeling if it just brought pain? He sighed, his eyes fixated on the tub. Reaching out, he turned on the tap and watched steaming water flow into the porcelain bathtub. The water seemed strange today, as Haru looked down at it. It was not welcoming, or did not feel as such, as he looked into the clear liquid.

As the water reached the highest point it could until it would overflow with the addition of Haru's body, he turned the tap off. Stripping out of his boxers, he briefly considered getting his jammers to wear. He decided against it, stepping gingerly into the tub with a wince at the incredible heat. Slowly, he slid his body into the scalding water, watching his skin slowly redden with the heat. Leaning his head back against the side of the tub, Haru closed his eyes and allowed his mind to wander.

_What am I going to do with all of this bruises and marks? I can't feel them. But people would see them. Would they think I'm disgusting? Not that it matters. I am disgusting. And worthless. That's why Rin does these things. He wants me to see I have worth, but what if I don't? I can't do this anymore. I don't want to feel… But I do. I'm numb, but I want to feel _something_, and then I want it to go away. _Haru's thoughts scattered around, making him sink lower and lower into the water until it came up to his nose. He opened his eyes then, sitting up a bit in the water enough to glance around the bathroom. He mirror had fogged up, and the room was hazy from the steam.

Blue eyes locked on something shiny on the counter by the sink, something he had slowly become familiar with. Forcing himself to stand, Haru climbed out of the tub and went to the counter. A silver razor lay beside the sink, which in all honesty was not unusual, especially for a high school boy who competitively swam. The only oddity was that it was simply the blade, a thin and wide blade that belonged to a full razor for shaving. Haru frowned at the thought.

_This blade has never been used to shave. _He thought, picking it up delicately with his left hand. Walking back to the tub, Haru climbed into the water once more, the heat more welcoming a second time. Sliding in to his original position, Haru leaned back against the side of the tub and looked the razor over. Should he, or should he not? The questions raged through him like wild fire. Finally, decisively, Haru brought the sharp edge of the blade to his skin. Biting his lip a bit, he more tentatively slid the sharp edge along his skin. At first, he did not feel anything. He was honestly not sure if he had even cut himself. But then, as the thin line of blood formed, a searing sting shot through his wrist. He bit his lip harder until he felt a soft _pop_ and a warm stream of blood slide down his chin.

This pain, it felt better than he could have imagined. He was in control of his pain for once, able to stop or continue as he pleased and not having to rely on another's will to stop. Haru drew slow lines over his skin with the razor, blue eyes shining in fascination with the crimson liquid that rolled thickly down his arm. He made cuts for each day Rin had hurt him. He could remember exactly the number, and he made each slice of his skin resemble the pain he had gone through. Half of the amount on one arm, half on the other.

He was thankful that he was ambidextrous.

He stopped when he finally reached his number, hands shaking and covered completely in the blood he had shed himself. His vision was beginning to blur around the corners, making him lay his head back against the tub. Arms up on the sides of the bath, he watched the red liquid seep down into the water, causing red to mingle with clear. Tiredness began to take over Haru's mind, and he felt his arms slip into the water. He distantly felt the pain of hot water washing into his cuts, but he didn't care anymore. He _felt_, and now it was time to be _numb_. As his eyes slid shut, he reminded himself of the number of times that blade at dug into his skin.

_304… 152 each arm… 304…_

_/_

Makoto knocked on Haru's front door, calling his name before opening the door. It was always unlocked, Haru was just like that. The house was quiet, and the brunette immediately knew where his best friend was. As he took his shoes off and walked down the hall, the humidity in the house seemed to rise. Warm, thick air flowed from the bathroom, making Makoto sigh.

"Haru-chan, how many times have I told you that it is not good to leave the hot water on for so long?" Makoto mused, walking into the bathroom. His smile faded though as he saw his friend lying in the bathtub. His head was back against the side of the tub, and his eyes were closed, like he had fallen asleep.

"Haru?" Makoto stepped closer to the tub, emerald eyes widening. Clearly something was wrong. Haru's face was pale, and his lips were tinted lightly with blue. Quickly going to him, Makoto reached into the tub and pulled the drain to get the water out. The water was freezing, but the larger boy froze as a realization hit him like a train.

Water should definitely _not_ be _red_.

Makoto reached into the tub, arms getting soaked with the red water as he lifted Haru out of the tub. Shaking and frightened, Makoto sat on the floor with Haru in his lap, wrapping a towel halfheartedly around the older boy's bare waist before grabbing his phone from his pocket. He dialed a number quickly, begging the person on the other end to pick up quickly.

_"Hello? Makoto-senpai?"_

"Rei, please come over to Haru's house! It's an emergency!" Makoto's voice was higher than usual, and shaking.

_"What's the matter? Nagisa and I will be right over!" _Rei's voice was unsure and nervous. Makoto felt hot tears running down his cheeks, falling onto Haru's forehead.

"Something happened to Haru. Please, Rei, hurry! Oh God, Haru, please wake up," Makoto dropped his phone on the tile floor, clutching Haru tightly to his chest. The brunette looked over Haru's still and cold body, eyes resting on the mangled messes that were his arms.

"Oh Haru…" he hiccupped, more tears falling down his face. "What happened to you..?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Author Note:** Hey everyone! I am SO sorry that I haven't updated! I would give you my reasons for not doing so, but it mostly chalks up to laziness and writers block… So again, I apologize! And I hope this chapter can make up for it! Enjoy!

/

Chapter Seven

**How Does Love Feel Again?**

"Mako-chan, what are we going to do? Haru-chan is hurt!" Nagisa shouted from across the kotatsu in Haru's living room. Makoto's emerald eyes were clouded with anxiety as he thought, trying to come up with something that they could do to help their friend.

"I don't know, Nagisa. We bandaged him up, but I don't know what to do now." the brunette replied, his face dull.

"Have you informed Rin-senpai of Haruka-sempai's condition?" Rei asked, adjusting his glasses on his nose. Makoto shook his head, looking down at his phone in his lap.

"I'm afraid of what he'll do. You know how… extreme Rin can get." Makoto replied, sighing quietly. A muffled thud made the swimmers jump, glancing around to find the source of the noise.

"What was that?" Makoto asked, his voice shaking.

"Is Haru-chan awake?" the blond answered excitedly. Looking at each other before standing, the boys made their way up the stairs toward Haru's bedroom. The door was closed, but they could hear a muffled voice from beyond the door.

"_I dn't feel gd, cn you cm ovr_?" They heard quietly. Exchanging confused looks, each boy pressed their ear to the door, listening closer.

"_I cn't tell you… Please cm ovr?...'skay… Tmrow?... Bye._" Upon hearing a faint click to confirm Haru was off the phone, Makoto knocked and opened the door slowly.

"Haru? How are you feeling?" he asked, briefly scanning the room and seeing that the thud had been from a book falling from the nightstand, probably while Haru was reaching for his phone.

"Tired." came quietly from the boy that was lying in bed. His hands were shaking, likely from the effort of holding his phone. Makoto looked at Haru's arms with pained eyes, seeing some areas slowly becoming red from the wounds he had.

"Well, get some sleep. If you need anything, we'll be downstairs." Makoto smiled warmly, but Haru simply closed his eyes and seemed to fall asleep. Rei and Nagisa looked at each other, and then at the backstroke swimmer. As they exited the room, Makoto shut the door and looked at the ground.

"Makoto-sempai, do you know what happened to Haruka-sempai? All you told us was that he was bleeding and unconscious." Rei asked, his voice gentle.

"He…he had cuts all over his arms and hands. Every centimeter of his skin had either a cut or blood covering it. I-I don't even know h-how he c-could've done i-it." hot tears began rolling down the gentle giant's face, his shaking hands balled into fists at his sides. Nagisa sniffled and threw his arms around Makoto's waist, hugging him tightly.

"Perhaps we should call Rin-sempai." the blue haired teen said, placing a comforting hand on Makoto's shoulder. The brunette nodded and wiped the tears from his eyes. With one arm still around Nagisa in a soothing embrace, Makoto pulled his phone out and dialed his redheaded friend.

"_Yo, Mako! What's up, man_?" Rin answered. Makoto could hear the smile in his friend's voice; as carefree as he usually seemed to be.

"Can you come to Haru's right now?" the gentle giant's voice was strained, as he attempted to hold in his tears.

"_Dude, you sound terrible. Did something happen?_" when Makoto did not reply to Rin's question, the redhead's voice came again, much more concerned.

"_Did something happen to Haru?_" Makoto sniffled and let out a shaky breath.

"Yes, you need to come over right now." He tried to keep his voice even as he spoke. Rin cursed on the other line and hung up, signaling to Makoto that he was in fact coming over.

"Rin-chan is coming?" Nagisa asked, looking up at the backstroke swimmer, who nodded. With a weak cheer, the three boys made their way down the stairs, waiting for Rin to arrive.

/

Haru opened his eyes, staring up quietly at the ceiling of his bedroom. He can't remember how he got there, or really how he got out of the bathtub. All he remembered was the pain, the stinging and burning that crawled up his arms every time he moved. Weakly picking his phone up, he tried to unlock the screen and check his messages. One from Rin, the other from Sousuke. He read the one from Rin first:

_Haru r u ok? I'm coming ovr._

Next, he opened the one from Sousuke.

_Is everything alright?_

Locking his phone and dropping it to his side, the raven haired boy closed his eyes and thought. His thoughts traveled to a memory of hanging out with Sousuke, between the time that Haru had forced him to leave and the present day. It made Haru smile as he fell asleep.

/

_"__Let's go see the dolphins." Haru said casually, walking alongside Sousuke through the beautiful halls of the aquarium. Sousuke rolled his eyes, hands shoved in his pockets as he walked._

_"__Only if we can see the tiger sharks too." Haru had agreed, and they proceeded toward the dolphin tank. The taller boy watched Haru's eyes brighten when he saw the marvelous creatures, effortlessly gliding through the water. Pressing his hands to the glass, a dolphin took notice of him and swam over._

_Raising an eyebrow, Sousuke watched what seemed to be some unnatural communication between man and sea mammal, as the dolphin chirped happily and swam in a circle._

_"__You mustn't be human." Sousuke teased, stepping closer to the tank. Haru shot him a sharp glare, then turned back to the dolphin. It chirped and swam straight up, making both Haru and Sousuke watch as it reached the top of the tank a few meters above them. The sapphire eyed boy quickly stepped away from the glass, earning a confused look from his companion._

_"__Where are you going?" he asked. Before Haru answered him, a heavy shower of water fell over Sousuke, drenching his clothes._

_The dolphin swam back down to their level, swimming in circles and doing underwater flips out of pure amnusement. Sousuke turned to Haru with a deadly glare, until he saw something he never could have imagined._

_Haru was laughing. Not a small chuckle, but a full blown laugh that came from deep in his chest. Tears pooled in the shorter boy's eyes as he failed to catch his breath through the laughing, and Sousuke couldn't help the smile that spread across his face._

Is this what love feels like..? _Sousuke thought, teals eyes gleaming at Haru. The darker haired boy walking closer to his friend, smiling up at him._

_"__You're a little wet." He stated. Sousuke pouted for a moment before wrapping his huge arms around Haru in a big hug. The latter stiffened at the contact, but felt himself relax in Sousuke's arms. It was different, being hugged by this man and being hugged by Rin. This felt…nice. Not intimidating or possessive, just sweet and kind._

_"__Now you're wet, too." Sousuke chuckled, releasing Haru and studying his now soaked shirt and fronts of his pants. Haru pouted, causing Sousuke to laugh more._

_A new emotion stirred in Haru then, hearing the teal eyed boy laugh. He smiled again, unable to control the happiness that glittered in his eyes. _

Is this how I am supposed to feel…?_ He thought as they attempted to locate towels._

/

A loud bang and shouting voice made Makoto, Nagisa, and Rei jump in surprise.

"Haru?!" Rin's voice echoed through the house, panic and worry in his tone. Makoto stood from the kotatsu and quickly made his way to the redhead.

"You didn't have to break the door RinRin… Haru's in his bedroom." The brunette told him. Rin ignored all but where Makoto said Haru was, sprinting up the stairs and opening Haru's bedroom door. Rei and Nagisa poked their heads out of the room, looking at Makoto.

"Should we stay?" Rei asked, looking toward where Rin had just gone.

"Yeah, just in case Rin's temper shows up." Makoto gave them a small, weak smile before leading them to sit once again at the kotatsu and talk quietly.

/

Haru opened his eyes drowsily at hearing his door open. He saw the blurry figure of his boyfriend walking toward him, flinching slightly when Rin sat on the bed beside him.

"Haru…what happened..?" Rin's voice was small, scared. He very lightly touched Haru's arm, earning a small whimper of pain from the latter. Seeing the blood that was beginning to stain the bandages, Rin got up and quickly retrieved more from the bathroom. He sat beside Haru again, gently taking on his his boyfriend's hands.

"Rin...?" Haru asked, his voice thick with sleep.

"Don't worry Haru, I'll take care of you. I-I promise." Even through the bleariness of his vision, Haru could see the tears rolling down Rin's cheeks. Why was he crying? He never did that when Haru was hurt. Confused, the blue eyed boy let Rin have his arm, watching silently as the bandages were unwrapped. A soft gasp escaped Rin at seeing Haru's marred skin, warm tears falling onto Haru's hand.

"Rin…'msrry…" the freestyle boy mumbled as a dizzy tiredness took over his mind. The redhead leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to Haru's forehead.

"Hush, let me take care of you…" his voice was gentle and warm, similar to the way Makoto spoke to the twins. Haru could only nod and close his eyes, drifting into sleep with confusion clouding his thoughts.

_Does Rin care…? But why do I feel so…good when I'm with Sousuke? I don't understand…_


End file.
